Concord Starts MEC Tournament Play vs GSC

Concord Stats - Glenville State Stats - MEC Tournament Central - Live In-Game Statistics - A. Morris Interview

ATHENS, W. Va. – With its record-breaking regular season now concluded, the Concord University softball team will turn its attention towards winning the inaugural Mountain East Conference Tournament starting with its opening round game 12:00 p.m. Thursday against Glenville State at the Moyer Sports Complex in Salem, Virginia.
 
Watch sophomore catcher Alyssa Morris preview the conference tournament and discuss the softball program's resurgence here.
 
Live Coverage and Tickets
•  The MEC will provide live in-game statistics for all games at the 2014 MEC Tournament as well as live audio for all games on Saturday and Sunday. Links to the live in-game statistics can be found here or at the top of the page.
 
• Tickets for those planning on attending the tournament are $25 for a tournament pass, or $10 per day for adults and $5 for students.
 
Records and Schedule
• Concord enters the tournament at 29-21 overall this season and 13-15 in league games. The Mountain Lions, which split their last eight games to end the regular season, are currently ranked eighth in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region.
 
• Glenville State has won five of its last six games to take a 19-25 overall, and 11-17 league, record into postseason play.
 
• The winner of Thursday's opening game will return to play top-seeded West Virginia Wesleyan at 5:00 p.m. The losing team will play its second game of the double-elimination tournament, 2:30 p.m. Friday against the loser of Thursday's game between UVa.-Wise – West Virginia State / Shepherd contest.

• For a complete breakdown of the tournament schedule visit the MEC's "Softball Tournament Central"
 
The Series
• Concord has won three out of its last five games against Glenville State, including a doubleheader sweep earlier in the season, to cut GSC's all-time series lead over CU to 15-7.
 
Last Meeting
• Concord capped off a regular season sweep of the Pioneers with a 6-2 victory in game two April 12, 2014 at Glenville State. Freshman outfielder Lauren Lewis was 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI and freshman pitcher Sarah Herndon struck out a career-high eight batters in the victory.
 
Mountain Lion Notes
• An MEC Freshman of the Year candidate, Lewis has paced the Mountain Lions in her rookie campaign  by hitting .387 (58-for-150) with 34 runs, seven home runs, 35 RBI and 12 stolen bases. Lewis, who will take a 15-game hitting streak into the conference tournament, has already set a Concord single-season record for doubles (17) and is six hits away from breaking Becca Gleason's 2013 single-season record of 63 hits.
 
• Also paying immediate dividends in their first seasons at Concord has been sophomore pitcher Allie Reid and sophomore second baseman Kristen Rose.  Reid is 16-9 on the year with two saves, 16 complete games and 105 strikeouts in 167 innings while Rose has hit .325 (53-for-163) with team-highs of 51 runs, 18 stolen bases in addition to 13 doubles, six home runs and 33 RBI.
 
• Rose's 51 runs are a MEC best and a Mountain Lion single-season record as are Reid's 16 wins.
 
• Since beginning the season in a 4-for-25 (.160), three-RBI, one-home run slump, sophomore catcher Alyssa Morris has rebounded to go 46-for-117 (.393) with 19 runs, 29 RBI and eight home runs. Morris, who is in the midst of season-long 10-game hitting streak, needs just one homer to become Concord's career home run leader at 19.
 
• The trio of Rose (18), Lewis (12) and junior outfielder Jessica Seymour (15) have combined to steal 45 bases this season; more than six MEC teams (Fairmont State, Shepherd, Urbana, West Virginia Wesleyan, West Liberty and Wheeling Jesuit).
 
• Junior first baseman / pitcher Brantlea Wood has three hits in Concord's last four games.
 
• The Mountain Lions are 17-5 when scoring a run in the first inning and 21-8 when scoring before their opponent.

• Concord has also proven adept at holding leads to the tune of a 20-2 record when leading after four innings.
 
• Concord head coach Alisa Tasler is 68-81 in three seasons in charge of the Mountain Lions' program. Prior to her arrival, CU was just 51-147 from 2007-11.